Saint Laurent 'Shades of Summer' 2025 Ad Campaign

Review of Saint Laurent ‘Shades of Summer’ 2025 Ad Campaign by Photographer Henrik Purienne with models Frankie Rayder, Erin Wasson, and Jenn Du Puy

Under Anthony Vaccarello’s direction, Saint Laurent’s Summer 2025 campaign, titled Shades of Summer, trades in polish for patina. Shot by Henrik Purienne on the sun-drenched coasts of the South of France, the campaign leans into a voyeuristic, analog haze—grainy textures, smudged sun, sweat, and tan lines all part of its sensual language.

Purienne’s signature visual style—part French erotic cinema, part luxury Polaroid—creates an atmosphere of lazy decadence. The models, including Frankie Rayder, Erin Wasson, and Jenn Du Puy, oscillate between playful and languid, often topless, often caught mid-gesture. There’s no narrative beyond heat, bodies, and branded accessories, with macro shots of YSL bags and hardware reminding us of the real object of desire.

But what the campaign lacks in storytelling, it compensates for with mood. It doesn’t pretend to sell anything other than a feeling: the allure of escape, the intimacy of being observed, the fantasy of a life suspended somewhere between a film still and a vacation memory. Though the styling is pared back, the brand’s codes—sharp heels, oversized sunglasses, statement jewelry—are embedded like artifacts in the sand.

While Shades of Summer may not move the brand’s aesthetic forward, it masterfully amplifies what Saint Laurent has become under Vaccarello: a house where voyeurism and nostalgia meet sun-drenched seduction.

A summer dream tinted with heatstroke, halcyon flashbacks, and just enough logo placement to bring you back to shore.